The present invention relates, in general, to a restraining apparatus, and more particularly to a restraining apparatus for securing a position of a side impact beam of U-shaped or trapezoidal cross section during a gauging or assembly process.
Side impact beams are highly critical safety components in the automobile industry and generally installed in sidewalls, in particular in doors of motor vehicles. Precision in manufacture of side impact beams and care for properly mounting them into the sidewalls or doors are important considerations. As side impact beams are made on a large scale, it is required to constantly inspect their dimensional accuracy and to enable a repetition of various assembly steps in reproducible manner.
It is known to secure side impact beams in place for subsequent gauging or assembly operations by providing their flat ends with fastening bores in which pins are received to maintain a centered disposition. As a consequence of the provision of such centering pins, the devices used for carrying out gauging, assembly or manufacturing procedures are complicated to make and expensive in view of the necessary precision, and moreover the provision of fastening bores result in a weakening of the flat ends of the side impact beams, rendering them less capable to withstand stress. Also, the stress profile is adversely affected by the breach in the stress flux.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved restraining apparatus for securing a position of a side impact beam during a gauging or assembly operation, which apparatus obviates prior art shortcomings and is simple in structure and yet precise, without adversely affecting the stress-absorbing capability of the flat ends of the side impact beam.